Microsoft recently introduced a planned change for Windows 11: users may soon receive ads in the form of recommended programs in the Start menu. This was not received well by many, but Microsoft is providing the solution right away.
What kind of ads are these? As Microsoft announced in a blog post on April 12, 2024, there could soon be ads in the Start menu of Windows 11. These will feature icons for “recommended programs” from the Microsoft Store, which will appear in the menu like an installed application.
The feature is intended to “help users discover great apps from the Microsoft Store,” according to the Microsoft website. Currently, it is being rolled out only for U.S. users in the “Windows Insider” beta program. Therefore, it is still unclear when and in what form the change will be available to all users.
However, this does not stop users on social media from getting upset already.
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Users mock: Probably more advertising for Linux
How is the planned change being received? On social media, frustration and mockery seem to prevail. Many users express annoyance at the planned ad insertions. Some say this is exactly the reason they switched to Linux.
Some take the planned ads as an opportunity to finally learn Linux – because the operating systems have the reputation of being more complex and less convenient to use. We’ve gathered some comments under a video from drift0rtv on TikTok for you:
- Mike: ‘What a great year to learn Linux.’
- Brandon: ‘Sounds like an ad for Ubuntu, to be honest.’
- Jinx <3: ‘I’m terrible at understanding tech stuff. I’ll manage with Linux if I have to.’
Others plan to bypass the feature in other ways: for example, by simply never updating their operating system, or by not using the Start menu and managing everything through desktop shortcuts. Fortunately, there is a simple way to receive no ads in the Start menu – and you don’t even have to learn Linux for it.
In fact, the solution comes from Microsoft itself. They probably anticipated that the planned change would not be well received by everyone. Therefore, the announcement also states how the ads in the Start menu can be disabled in the future:
- Open the “Settings” of your Windows PC
- Select “Personalization”
- Select “Start”
- Disable the toggle “Show recommendations for tips, shortcuts, new apps, and more”
By the way, you can also disable the suggestions that Microsoft already displays in the Start menu this way. Without the planned ad insertions, you will see recently opened documents or frequently used programs there.
If you remain loyal to the Microsoft operating system, we have the best AI features you can already try out under Windows 11 here.
